On May 6, 2020, the Ontario government announced that it will be allowing retail stores with a street entrance to provide for curbside pickup and delivery, as well as all in-store payment and purchases at garden centres, nurseries, hardware stores and safety supply stores. However, these businesses owners should be reviewing and implementing the health and safety guidelines previously issued by the province (and which we blogged on here) as part of the re-opening process.

The government announced the following timelines:

  • May 8 at 12:01 a.m.: garden centres and nurseries will be able to open for in-store payment and purchases, operating under the same guidelines as grocery stores and pharmacies;
  • May 9 at 12:01 a.m.: hardware stores and safety supply stores will be permitted for in-store payment and purchases;
  • May 11 at 12:01 a.m.: retail stores with a street entrance can begin offering curbside pickup and delivery, in accordance with the Ministry of Health's Guidance Document for Essential Workplaces and occupational health and safety requirements.

The government is also expanding essential construction to allow below-grade multi-unit residential construction projects like apartments and condominiums to begin and existing above-grade projects to continue, although no timeline was announced.

Extending Emergency Order and Electricity Rate Relief

The government also announced that it will be extending all emergency orders that have been put in place to-date under section 7.0.2(4) of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act until May 19, 2020. A full list of those orders can be found here.

Finally, the government has extended emergency electricity rate relief until May 31, 2020. This relief allows customers who pay time-of-use electricity rates to be billed at the lowest price regardless of the time of day.

The lawyer's at CCPartners are available to assist you in planning for the return of your workforce to ensure that you are prepared to operate safely. Click HERE for a link to CCP's COVID-19 Blog series, catch our webinars and podcasts on  YouTube and SoundCloud or wherever you listen to podcasts, or contact any of our team members to answer you workplace questions.

Originally published May 5, 2020.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.